A Semi-Daily Advocate of the Modern School, Industrial Unionism, and
Individual Liberty.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Against All Authorities Under Assault

I finally got my act together enough to participate in a fleet battle last night, which was summarized on the Damu'Khonde forums thusly:

some TCU (enemy Territorial Claim Unit) shooting, frantic battle on the TCU, kinda like having sex the first time, very fast, uncoordinated, ending in someone running away

Also, I died in the process (and awoke in a fresh clone), which may or may not stretch the metaphor.

The strategic situation in Providence has changed considerably in the last month, while I've continued to be more or less on hiatus. Ushra'Khan's achievement of our primary strategic goals -- driving CVA and the allied Holders from Providence -- hinged on our relationship with Against All Authorities (AAA), the strongest power in Eve's "south" over the past year. Since CVA's collapse, Providence has been split up among many alliances, including Damu'Khonde (nee Ushra'Khan), with a mutual non-invasion pact (NIP) guaranteed by AAA.

To make a long story short, AAA has undergone a change in leadership, and one of the main partners in the "Southern Coalition," Atlas, collapsed on their flank. Sensing weakness, AAA is now buckling under full-scale assault. In the meantime, the NIP has fallen apart, and Damu'Khonde's key gateway system of KBP7-G fell to a force including elements of Pandemic Legion, a potent mercenary alliance who have one the last three Eve Alliance Tournaments.

It remains to be seen how this will play out. Providence is both well fortified and resource poor, so it is possible that major operations will swirl around rather than through our systems. In the meantime, Damu'Khonde will be backing AAA, even in a losing effort. Ushra'Khan thrived more on vengeance than holding territory, so a forced return to our roots won't kill us.

Also, it is worth noting that fleet tactics have changed considerably in the past couple months, mostly due to some innovation by Pandemic Legion. This is the kind of thing you play giant sandbox wargames for...